Rating: 
Summary: Potentially Valuable Information, Poorly Written Argument
Review: As a pregnant woman, this is the first book I purchased about birthing. The title is misinformative, as it suggests that the guide will empower women to make educated, informed birthing plan decisions. I am not disputing that the author's facts are accurate and useful, but has she ever had training on how to present a persuasive argument? I am relatively unknowledgeable in the arena of birthing, as this is my first pregnancy & my first birthing book - so I cannot even begin to take such a biased "argument" (if that is what you could even call it), seriously! This author is "going against the grain" of what most people know about the medical community, and in order to dispute something of this magnitude (e.g. the entire medical community & their practices in obstetrics), you better be a trusted expert and present your argument as such. Admitting a bias is not enough to persuade me to take this book as fact. Like previous reviewers, I was distracted by the persistent angry and doctor-bashing tone of the book. This book would have been far more effective had it acknowledged where the medical community is succeeding. Or is it failing miserably in all areas of obstetrics? This book provides not one instance (that I read, granted... I got irritated & didn't finish the book) of how the medical community in general is getting things right. I find that hard to believe.
Rating: 
Summary: Right on the money!
Review: I have checked out many of Goer's sources, and her information is accurate and important for every expectant parent to be aware of. Some people think she is "biased," but in reality, our system is broken and gets poor results compared with other countires. Goer clearly shows us why.
Rating:
Summary: Best book for "laying in on the line"
Review: I first checked this book out of the library for a report, and
ended up ordering a copy because I was pregnant. This book
lists all the pros and cons of many medical procedures, and
doesn't "beat around the bush." The author does admit her
own bias, however, the research presented backs up her beliefs.I have found myself referring to this book throughout my pregnancy, especially now that I am past my due date and my
caregiver is pushing for an induction merely because I have reached the 41 week cutoff date. This book is giving me the
information I need to stick to my desire to let nature take
its course and to have the kind of birth that I want.
Rating:
Summary: A child birth educators opinion...buy This Book!
Review: This book is the real deal on what's up with birth today. The author takes a hard look at many of the medical professions sacred cows, such as epidurals, episiotomy, iv, labor induction and management, just to name a few. Henci Goer has masterfully dug through the medical literature and gives readers the facts in laymen's terms. (More descriptions of these studies are included in the back of the book.) Every pregnant woman should read this book, especially those planning to give birth in a hospital. If you are only going to read one book during pregnancy, make it this one!
Rating:
Summary: A must read for all pregnant women...
Review: As a childbirth educator teaching in a hospital, I'm limited on the amount of information I'm able to give my students. Thankfully, this book is listed in the "Recommended Reading" section of our class textbook. Through this book, I'm able to inform my students about the risks of interventions, how to communicate with their care givers, and how to have a better birth. Unfortunately, alot of my students are weeks before their due dates and they miss the extremely valuable information this book gives on how to choose a competent care giver and how to truly find out how their care giver practices. The pendulum is swinging to a very high technological approach in birth. In the five years I've been teaching, the cesarean rate has doubled at our hospital. It's outrageous and not evidence based care, as Ms. Goer's book explains (and backs up with scientific studies and references). If you want to know the real story on epidurals, IVs, VBACs, and inductions, get this book!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful resource for the thinking woman
Review: This is a wonderful book that assumes the reader does not want to be condescended to an told what to do, it rather presents the facts along with the the author's opinion in a way which lets the reader draw their own conclusions. Everything is backed up by data, including excerpts of studies in the back of the book. This is an excellent book for the woman who wants to know 'why?', not just what the experts opinion is. Henci doesn't just give you her opinion, she is very clear on why she came to that conclusion. In contrast, many authors tell the reader what is essentially opinion dressed up as fact. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: I am contemplating parenthood right now and I am looking for a birth experience that is very different than what most of my friends and family have gone through. Although I knew that alternatives were out there, I was distrustful because of the dominant medical model that we are so accustomed to in this country. Because of this book, my fears of alternative birthing are significantly reduced and I will definately seek out a freestanding birth center when the time comes for my husband and I. Henci Goer has done an excellent job of compiling medical research and presenting it in a clear, straitforward, and convincing fashion. She has done a tremendous service to childbearing women.
Rating: 
Summary: A misleading title, and a biased book
Review: I think this book will primarily appeal to women who wish to validate their bias toward vaginal birth. However, if your mind is already made up, why buy the book? If this were truly "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth," the author would present the pros and cons of vaginal delivery versus C-section, and leave the decision up to you. Instead, she rabidly tries to cram her opinions down your throat. If she had her facts straight, I could tolerate such an adamant stance. However, she is clearly and unconscionably misinformed. For example, she contends that vaginal birth does not damage the pelvic floor. Is she delusional? There is an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence to support that it does. Furthermore, I am a surgeon who has performed countless operations to repair this pelvic floor damage. It is obvious that this is associated with vaginal childbirth, NOT C-sections. Furthermore, as a man, I know that vaginal childbirth can induce permanent and undesirable changes in the vagina. That is something the author is oblivious to. If this were a perfect world, I suppose men wouldn't care about such a thing, but the fact is they do. Women can ignore this, but only at their own peril. Men, being men, generally don't feel comfortable enough to discuss this with their partners if it's a problem. Instead, they'll often look for a greener (can I say tighter?) pasture. You can blame men for being so shallow, but women are just as focused on pleasure. Women gossip so much about "a man's size" that this intimately personal subject is now an accepted part of our culture that can be cavalierly broached in magazines, books and on television with no one blinking an eye about it. My point? Women care just as much about pleasure as men do, and when it comes to determining sexual pleasure, a man's size is no less important than vaginal tightness, which can be permanently affected by vaginal delivery. Even if this does not concern you, you probably will be bothered by the other side effects of vaginal delivery, such as urinary stress incontinence and a dozen other problems. Hence, I feel that propagandists for vaginal delivery, such as Henci Goer, are doing a great disservice to women.
Rating:
Summary: Horribly biased
Review: You would think that a book called The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth would assume that women could think, but this author doesn't give her readers any credit at all for being able to think through tough issues on their own. Instead, she is determined to promote her alternative birthing agenda, even if that means ignoring any medical studies she doesn't agree with. This book does pregnant women a huge disservice. I wish I could give it a negative rating because that's what it deserves.
Rating:
Summary: The truth behind (mis-)managed obstetrics
Review: As a childbirth educator, doula and the immediate past-president of ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) Inc., this is one of the first books I would recommend to women looking for information about birth. Solid information based on a wealth of studies, she truly informs women of their options and rights - sadly something that rarely happens in obstetrics today. There are many disempowering books on the market today focusing on childbirth, thank you Henci for providing us with an alternative - this is one of the very best!
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